The Orlando Magic finally have a chance to prove doubters wrong

The experts have spoken. Vegas oddsmakers, too. Computers even weighed in with intricate simulations.

Just about everyone envisions tough times ahead for the Orlando Magic.

On Friday night, the team will have its first opportunity to prove people wrong. The Magic will open their 2012-13 regular season against the Denver Nuggets at Amway Center.

"That lack of expectations is a great incentive for us to get out there and compete and be at our best — and do it with a chip on our shoulder," swingman Arron Afflalo said. "There's nothing wrong with that, using any and everything to kind of fuel our motivation in terms how hard we compete."

Everyone, it seems, has something to prove.

The remade roster features four rookies and three second-year players.

The rotation includes a trio of mid-twentysomethings — Afflalo, Glen Davis and J.J. Redick — who still are fighting for respect.

And Jameer Nelson and Hedo Turkoglu, commonly assumed to be on the downslope of their careers, must play well for Orlando to even challenge for a playoff spot.

"What matters is what's going on in this locker room and in this organization," Nelson said. "We have to believe that we are good enough to win games and get better every day and not listen to the negative things or the positive things, because at the end of the day none of it matters."

One ESPN.com analyst recently predicted the Magic will go 16-66 in the season ahead. A gambling website set the over/under on Orlando's win total at 23½. And Basketball Prospectus' computerized prediction system, SCHOENE, forecasts that the Magic will win 26 games.

The Magic faced similar doubts when Dwight Howard missed games late last season because of a back injury.

That Orlando team posted a 4-8 regular-season record without its superstar, but the remaining players rallied around each other and arguably played with more heart than they had before. They nearly upset the Boston Celtics in Boston and the Utah Jazz in Salt Lake City.

In the playoffs, they fell to the Indiana Pacers four games to one, but the first three losses were tightly contested.

Although the Magic allowed Ryan Anderson to leave in the offseason — a departure that will hurt their perimeter shooting and their rebounding — the team improved at shooting guard by replacing Jason Richardson with Afflalo and increased its depth at center by adding Nik Vucevic and Gustavo Ayón.

ESPN analyst Jeff Van Gundy thinks the Magic might be as good as they were when last season's playoffs started. He said the team could win between 30 and 39 games.

But that's the most optimistic prediction.

"Doubters fuel the energy of believers," Davis said. "Doubters spark the ignition. They give us fuel to every day go out there and say, 'Let's prove them wrong.' "

The matchup against the Nuggets could set the tone for the entire season.

"Especially with a young team, a lot of times what happens is if you hit a rough patch, you give in a little bit, whereas guys who've been in this league awhile know that the rough patch is inevitable," Redick said.

"The good teams and the good groups — the groups with character — generally respond in a very positive way when the rough patch hits. So that's going to be the challenge."

On Friday night, the new-look Magic will start revealing their character.